142 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



have been widely used for ornamental purposes such as tiling, 

 mantels, table tops and general decorative work. 



At Moriah and Port Henry, in Essex county, a serpentinous marble 

 or verd-antique occurs as bands interfolded with gneiss. It .con- 

 sists of granular calcite and dolomite, giving a white ground in 

 which the green mottlings of serpentine are very conspicuous. It 

 is reported that blocks free from checks and joints and of good size 

 are obtainable, but the frequent occurrence of sulfids has been a seri- 

 ous drawback to the use of the stone. There are no quarries now 

 in operation. A similar marble in the town of Thurman, Warren 

 CO., is described by G. P. Merrill as composed of " about equal parts 

 snow-white calcite and light yellowish green serpentine flecks and 

 patches from ^^ to J inch in diameter." The most extensive 

 area of serpentinous marble in the State, probably, is that outcrop- 

 ping in the towns of Gouverneur, Fowler and Edwards, in St Law- 

 rence county. A beautiful massive serpentine is found near Keese- 

 ville. It has a homogeneous body of rich green color, clouded and 

 veined by red iron ore, with occasional black markings due to 

 magnetite. Though somewhat broken by joints in the outcrop, 

 masses of suitable size for decorative work could probably be 

 obtained without much difficulty. 



At Glens Falls a fine quality of black marble has been quarried for 

 many years. It occurs as a stratum about 12 feet thick, overlain 

 by thinly bedded gray limestones and slate. It has a compact even 

 texture, the polished surface being a lustrous black. The stone has 

 been shipped to all parts of the country, chiefly for tiling and 

 ornamental work. 



The Gouverneur quarries are among the most productive in the 

 State. They afford an excellent monumental and building stone: 

 The principal variety is dark bluish gray and coarsely crystalline, 

 in appearance not unlike some granites. Lighter varieties grading 

 into pure white also occur. In composition the marble is a quite 

 pure calcium carbonate, with small amounts of silica, magnesia, iron 

 and alumina. The beds, or veins as they are locally known, are 

 associated with laminated gneisses, the whole forming a series of 

 metamorphosed sediments classified by Dr Smyth as the Oswe- 

 gatchie, which may be correlated with the Grenville series of Canada. 

 The beds are steeply inclined and are followed down from the 

 outcrop. Though the occurrence is extensive, only a portion of the 

 area contains material that is sufficiently free from impurities or is 

 otherwise adapted for use. Still the resources are known to be 



